Choi Tae-won (born 3 December 1960) is the chairman of SK Corporation. He was responsible for securing the funds to build Ulsan Grand Park, the largest Urban park in South Korea.
Early Life and Education
Choi is chairman of the South Korean group SK Corporation, the third largest conglomerate in South Korea with affiliates in energy, telecom, chemicals, and other sectors. He attended the University of Chicago as an undergraduate and later met his wife, the daughter of former South Korean President, Roh Tae-woo, at the university as well. The Choi family has deep ties with the University of Chicago as Choi’s father, the founder of the group, as well as his wife and eldest daughter all attended the university. He is married, has three children, and was incarcerated near Seoul until his pardon in August 2015. His spouse is the daughter of former president They have been separated since September 2011. In December 2015 he announced his intention to divorce his wife.
Controversies
In January 2012, Choi was indicted of embezzling over $40 million from SK companies to cover up trading losses. However, he denies any wrongdoing. On 31 January 2013, Choi was found guilty of embezzlement and was sentenced to 4 years in prison by the Seoul District Court. SK Corporation expressed their desire to file an appeal. He was later pardoned by President Park Geun-hye in August 2015.
- Chey Tae-won chairs the SK Group, Korea’s third largest conglomerate with interests in telecom, semiconductors, chemicals and energy, among others
- The group’s SK Telecom is South Korea’s No. 1 mobile carrier; its SK Hynix is the country’s second largest chip maker.
- In 2013 he was convicted of misappropriating company funds but was later pardoned by then-president Park Geun-hye and returned to his post in 2016.
- Chey is a nephew of SK Group founder Chey Jong-gun, who started the conglomerate with a textile company called Sunkyong.
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